Tuesday, 15 January 2019

NATO PA President welcomes Skopje’s final adoption of constitutional name change

The President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Madeleine Moon (United Kingdom), welcomed the adoption by the National Assembly in Skopje of the constitutional amendments allowing for the change of the country’s official name.

“I would like to congratulate government and parliament authorities in Skopje on yesterday’s adoption of historic constitutional changes which are taking their country one step closer to NATO membership”, Ms Moon stated. “The NATO PA looks forward to the full implementation of the Prespa agreement and the prompt conclusion of accession negotiations with Skopje”.

“Prespa offers a positive model for the resolution of protracted bilateral disputes. It also creates welcome new momentum for the integration of the Western Balkans in NATO and the EU. As it has done consistently, the NATO PA will continue to support this process and NATO’s Open Door policy”, Ms Moon added.

The 17 June 2018 Prespa agreement between Prime Ministers Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras on the name issue and the next steps to fulfill Skopje’s NATO membership aspiration were the key focus of the Rose-Roth seminar organized by the NATO in Skopje days only after the conclusion of the agreement. Addressing the NATO PA at its annual session in Halifax, Canada on 19 November 2018, Speaker Talat Xhaferi also highlighted the significance of the Prespa agreement for his country and neighboring Greece: “We are winners because we opened the way of reason to reach an acceptable solution for both sides. We have proved that when there is will, a vision for the future, everything is possible”.

The NATO PA in cooperation with NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division will be hosting a working visit of a delegation of members of parliament from Skopje on 4-5 February.